Writing a character letter of recommendation for a college scholarship

I've been asked to write a character letter of recommendation for a friend's college scholarship application. What should I include to make it impactful and best support their application?

Character recommendation letters are a fantastic way to highlight a student's personality traits not readily apparent from their academic record or resume. Here are some suggestions you might find handy.

1. Begin with an introduction and an outline of your relationship with the student. Mention how long you've known them and in what capacity, as this puts your endorsement into context.

2. Discuss the student's personal traits that make them a strong candidate for the scholarship. You could talk about resilience, creativity, adaptability, discipline, commitment, leadership, or any other trait you have observed. Sprinkle this with concrete examples. For instance, if you're talking about their leadership skills, mention an occasion they were in charge of a project and how they executed it admirably.

3. In addition to the student's traits, touch upon their passions and goals. This helps in creating a well-rounded image of the student. Specifically, you might want to focus on how their aspirations align with the purpose of the scholarship.

4. Always include specific anecdotes. Stories make your letter more compelling and memorable, and also serve to validate your claims.

5. Lastly, don't forget to state your endorsement confidently. Clearly expressing your belief in their candidacy would have a lasting impact on the scholarship committee.

Remember, your aim should be to create a complete picture of the student that the scholarship committee will find valuable. This will make your letter not just impactful, but thorough and persuasive.